Inko was sleeping softly. This was, perhaps, the one time of the day that ambient anxiety and longing was not painted on her face. Even when she and Izuku were enjoying each other's company, there was still that look about her, subtly creeping up behind the smiles and laughter.

Izuku knew what it was. She was always worried about him. Her little boy had been accepted into a dangerous and brutal field, where once he began his life proper he could tell her goodbye as he left the house and die before she started supper. The villain attacks only proved that further. He was never going to be safe, even in the school lauded for the way it brings up its children.

However, that was not what was currently preoccupying her thoughts at the moment. Perhaps she thought of nothing at all while she rested. Maybe she envisioned better days. That kind of insight was lost on Izuku, as he watched her rest in her own bed. He had obfuscated himself, just in case she woke up.

"Hey, mom..." he began. He stopped, chuckling at himself. "I know, after all this time, I'm still talking to you like this. I know it still hurts that I can't tell you anything, but... I do want to. I really want to tell you everything. I just know I can't."

He walked to her side, kneeling by the frame of the bed as he rested his head against the bed-board.

"Kurogiri has been really nice recently. He started making me more food, it's making everyone else a little jealous." He laughed softly. "Some of the other people are still uneasy around me... not that I made a good first impression. But you always told me that I can make friends if I try hard enough. I won't stop trying."

He looked up to the ceiling, wringing his hands. "Shigaraki doesn't talk to me as much anymore. I don't know why though. Kurogiri says it's that he's just irritable that I'm not around as often. Sensei says not to worry about it. I try to talk to him as much as I can... and I can get him to do stuff with me most of the time... but sometimes he just leaves and walks the whole night. Especially when Sensei calls to talk to me."

He turned his head, looking straight at his mother's face, as he sighed. "I'm really sorry... I know this must hurt so much for you, and all you even know about is Yuuei. If I told you about the League..." He closed his eyes, guilt shooting through his chest like a spike. "I know you would hate it, and beg me to quit. But they... they gave me something I needed. I can't just leave them now, not while they still need me. Please understand... and if you do find out, please don't hate them. I know you'll want them gone, but they're too important to me."

He stood up, lightly grabbing the blanket loosely covering her waist and pulling it past her shoulders. He leaned in and placed his forehead against hers, whispering "I love you so much."

He walked out of her room, quietly closing the door behind him. He sighed, shaking his limbs and rubbing his nose. He quickly exited the apartment, and made his way down the streets.

There was more work to be done.

"What I'm saying is," Aizawa bluntly stated, "is that these exams are lackluster given current events."

The rest of the staff in the teacher's conference room didn't have much to add. Nedzu took that opportunity to chime in.

"I agree." His airy voice responded. "It has become clear that we are an active target for villains. As such, we need to redefine our curriculum for the heroes in training. The current tests are simply not going to cut it, especially if we have another incident like the USJ."

Aizawa slumped back into his chair, satisfied that his point came across. Toshinori leaned in. "So we need to make these tests something that is more difficult. How are we going to do this? We can't just use more robots, the students can crumble Zero Point bots like soda cans now."

"Not more difficult," Aizawa's eyes flicked to the Symbol of Peace, "we need them to be more akin to fighting a real villain. Nedzu, I have a proposal."

The creature folded its paws together, nodding as he gave the go ahead.

"We are all pro-heroes. We have all had our experience with fighting villains. We probably have the best idea on how villains fight in the field without actually being villains ourselves. So... I propose we fight the students ourselves, acting as the bad guys."

Nemuri folded her arms, chuckling as she placed a finger on her bottom lip. "Not that I don't enjoy using my whip as often as I can, but they wouldn't stand a chance if any of us fought them head on."

The principal spoke up again. "While I would ask you refrain from underestimating your students, I agree with that assessment. However, I think a shift of perspective would make this better. We should be giving them a chance to grow with the added risk. So while we act as villains, we should be trying to get them to recognize their weaknesses and adapt. We need to give them an opportunity to succeed, but at the same time we shouldn't be entirely overt in challenging them. They need to feel like we're doing all we can to stop them."

She nodded. "That's a good point. But how do you expect us to act like we're giving our all while leading them to a solution?"

Aizawa spoke up. "Pretty simple. We make them think we've been weakened. It'll give the impression that we're doing all we can to stop them. If we act as if we're going all out while disadvantaged, they won't realize that we're controlling the situation. That way, we can see how they act on the field, if they'll adapt or not."

"Thank you for the idea, Aizawa." Nedzu smiled. "I believe I have a solution. The support department can create some custom fitted bracelets and anklets for us. We can tell the hero course students that they are incredibly heavy, which reduces our stamina, and for most will reduce our ability to attack."

"We're just going to lie to the students like that?" Toshinori scoffed. "I thought we were supposed to foster trust as role models."

"All Might, I understand your reservations, but we are not trying to disrespect the students or their trust in us. We are simply simulating an environment that allows them to grow, and sometimes it means we must feed them false information. That being said... if this secret becomes known to the student body, this test would not be viable to the future generations this school must raise. To that end, I ask that this remains a secret shared among teachers only."

All of the teachers nodded at the proposal, signaling a non-verbal agreement.

"Now, unless any of you have any additional comments or concerns, I must return to my office and get everything sorted out. For the homeroom teachers of both classes, please divide your students into groups for the exams, and list why you chose the configurations you did. We can move forward from there."

Izuku was filled with relief upon seeing the school for the second time since his time spent under Endeavor's tutelage. The man had lightened up on him after the Stain incident, though that wasn't to say that he went easy on him. Still, he had learned a number of tactics and skills from the number two hero, which would definitely help him down the line.

He walked through the gates, pulling the straps on his backpack tighter as he edged his way around the crowds of students loitering with their friends. It wasn't long before he felt a familiar hand grip his shoulder lightly. He turned to see who it was, only to find an outfit being worn by an unseeable figure.

"Hagakure." He blankly muttered.

"Aww, is that all I get, partner?"

He grimaced, ducking his head away as he headed for his shoe locker, switching his outside shoes for the ones mandated by the school. "Don't say anything stupid."

She giggled, "Izukkun, careful what you insinuate! After all, you wouldn't want people thinking you were doing anything with lil' old me... how scandalous!"

Izuku spun around, his cheeks turning red. "That's not what I-!"

"I know, cutie. Besides, I'm sure you'd rather that be what others think than what we really did, all alone at night..."

"We weren't alone." He shot back, his fists clenching as his breath hitched and his voice cracked. "We... we weren't alone."

"Really? Last I checked, he made quite the exit-" Her voice was cut off as Izuku slammed his locker, sauntering off with his eyes clenched shut. "Hmph. Whatever, he'll stop whining eventually."

Izuku shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of the sight of Mirio. He didn't quite manage it, but at the very least he could push it back far enough that he could focus on other things.

The funeral service yesterday left the class silent, along with the lack of any straining exercises or physical training that day. Doubly so for Midoriya, who had to be consoled by Kurogiri and Sensei. However, those feelings did not last long. Whether it was forgotten by those who didn't really know Mirio, or those who could swallow their worries, it depended on the person. Life moves on, however, and many of the students of 1-A saw it fit to continue as if the day before never happened, that they were fresh from their internships and could show off their skills. Izuku was more than happy to oblige that sentiment himself.

As he walked into the classroom, he gave a small smile to Uraraka as she displayed her new... quite threatening... aura. He did his best to stay a few feet away from her. His attention was stolen by the sound of Kirishima and Sero laughing at Bakugou's new haircut, something that even Izuku had to cover his mouth to hide his giggles.

"If we're talking about the most transformative experience..." Kaminari's voice bled into the forefront of Izuku's mind, "It would have to be those two!"

Izuku's head snapped to the boy pointing directly at him and Iida. "Izuku was kidnapped by one of those creatures and had to fight his way out, and Iida was caught by Stain himself!"

Both of them stiffened as they were ostensibly called out. Yaoyorozu spoke up. "I was so worried about the two of you when I heard the news. It's a good thing Endeavor came to save you, Iida."

The usually enthusiastic boy clenched his fists under his desk, trying to smile to reassure Yaoyorozu. "Yes, Endeavor was quick to the scene. I'm glad he managed to arrest him quickly."

"And you, Izuku!" Mina exclaimed. "I heard you were just plucked off the ground, and came back all messed up! Did they really have to scrap your costume?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "Yeah... It messed me up pretty bad. It mostly damaged my suit, though. I didn't have any serious injuries or anything."

"That video though..." Kaminari trailed off. "I was so cool! He just scared everyone around him just from his force of will. It's so inspiring to see what can come from someone who is just so focused on what he wants. Kind of cool, really!"

The class grew silent at his exclamation. He quickly realized his mistake, bowing to apologize to Iida.

"No, it's fine." Iida looked down at some of the bindings covering his cuts and bruises. "You're right. He is a man of unrivaled conviction. It's easy to see why he's so inspiring. But he was led to believe that there needed to be a purge. That's unacceptable. I already apologized to you all, but I will state it again:"

His arms flung stiffly from his body, pointing to all of his classmates in a wide chopping motion. "I will never abandon the hero's path! I will save everyone I can, until the day I die!"

The sheer determination and hopefulness of Iida put a smile on Izuku's lips. He knew what he was saying was pure of heart. He really just wanted to save others, nothing more.

The spell of inspiration was broken as their teacher, tired as ever and cocooned in a sleeping bag, slumped through the door. He didn't even bother making it to the podium as he flopped onto the floor.

"Go on ahead and get to Field Gamma." He mumbled, voice muffled as he was face down on the tile. "All Might has a new training activity for you."

As the class approached the towering walls of Field Gamma, they were greeted to the appearance of the Symbol of Peace laughing haughtily, waving at them enthusiastically.

"Young students! I'm glad you could make it. Since you all worked so hard during your internships, I've decided to give you a more playful activity!"

The introduction sparked interest in many of the student. All Might continued.

"You all will be rescuing... me! That's right. I'm going to be at the center of the field! A group of five will all position themselves in different positions along the border, and all of you will race to see who can be the first to get to me!"

All Might not-so-subtly pointed at Bakugou. "Naturally, please keep destruction of property to a minimum."

The blonde kid scoffed, looking away in annoyance.

It wasn't long before the first team was called: Ashido, Iida, Ojiro, Sero, and Midoriya. They all got up and left to position themselves along the perimeter. As he left, Izuku overheard some of the others discussing who they thought would win. Among all of the chatter, he heard Bakugou loudly declare his thoughts to no one in particular.

"Deku will come in last."

Izuku winced. He knew it wasn't for the other students. Bakugou was saying that to him directly. He shook his head, positioning himself on the wall, in a spot with what appeared to be relatively little clutter from pipes and and tanks.

As the buzzer rang, he jumped off the edge of the wall, concentrating the air beneath him as he rocketed himself forward. He thrust his arms out behind him, stretching his fingers open as wide as they would go. He stuck his feet outward, gauging where they would hit the ground. The moment his feet touched the surface, he tucked into a roll, moving forward back onto his feet as another implosion sent him skyward.

It was his new technique he honed during his time with Endeavor. He was essentially performing greatly enhanced jumps while maintaining the forward momentum he gets from his implosions. The more he jumped, the greater his momentum was, meaning that he was progressively gaining more speed and longer jumps with each implosion. Of course, he needed to maintain balance, which is why his hands were positioned behind him. He could cause a small implosion in one of his open palms to correct anything like a stray wind gust or a poorly positioned launch.

However, one thing he couldn't correct was poor footholds. He landed onto a pipe just a bit too far to the left, causing him to slip and smack his head against the jutting metal object. He was sent hurtling towards the ground, the only thing keeping him from a serious injury was the small bursts of air he created to slow his descent. He picked himself up off the ground, clicking his tongue in discontent as he saw how close he was to the finish line. Sero sailed overhead, landing on the roof and cheering as he completed the exercise first. Izuku crouched down, jumping up as high as he could, causing air bombs under him to send him upwards.

However, his accidental slip proved to be only his first mistake. He failed to send himself high enough into the air, causing the tip of his boot to collide into the guardrail surrounding the roof. It sent him into a sharp curve over the edge of the rail, smacking straight onto the floor on the other side. His body skidded a few feet, only stopping as he clumsily hit All Mights feet. He looked around from his point of view on the ground. Everyone else was already there.

He felt a pair of large hands grip his outfit, pulling him up and onto his feet. Izuku felt the faint urge to back away in disgust, but his body and pride stung too much for him to do much of anything. He just grumbled something, hoping All Might would interpret his meaningless noises as some form of gratification.

"Well, Sero may have come in first, but you all have clearly improved upon your quirks since you started this year! Keep up the good work, and remember that finals are fast approaching!"

'Right.' Izuku thought to himself. 'Finals. What are we even going to do for Finals?'

He dusted his legs and arms off, tensing as they stung from the injuries he sustained. Before he could do anything else, he felt someone else lightly touch his shoulder.

"Izuku!" Iida cheered. "You did some amazing work there, I'm happy to see you using your quirk in new ways like that!"

The boy brought his hand to the back of his head, nervously rubbing it. "Ah... thanks! You did really good, too!"

"Still, we should get you to the nurses office, I'm sure you're pretty banged up from those accidents. All Might, may I accompany him to Recovery Girl's office?"

The hero shot back a thumbs up. "Of course! That's what we have her there for!"

Before Izuku could even protest, the other boy was already loading him onto his back, draping the green haired boy's arms over his neck and pulling his legs up to under his shoulders, holding them there with his arms hooked around them. Izuku's voice froze in his throat, as his heart panged in recognition of this scenario. This was how Kurogiri held him, when carrying him from place to place when he was too distraught to move around by himself. He had to resist the urge to pull himself tightly against Iida's back.

He was glad he had his mask on. His eyes stung at the warm familiarity coursing through his chest. Though, even if his face was uncovered, he hoped they were moving too fast for anyone to see it.

Aizawa was sitting quietly at his desk in the teacher's office, poring over the homework his students had turned in earlier that day. His focus was driven away at the sight of a skeletal man next to him, holding a folder in his hands.

"I have some questions regarding your placements for the Finals." Toshinori stated quietly.

"Don't beat around the bush." He chided, as he placed his pen down and leaned back in his chair. "You want to know why I paired Midoriya with Bakugou."

"Surely you have to know that they have a troubled past together. I met Midoriya on the street, and he asked me why the boy who beat him every day was going to be the hero when he couldn't. I have no doubts he was referring to Bakugou."

Toshinori placed the file on the desk, the other teacher opening it to reveal the medical history of Midoriya Izuku. There was an extensive number of papers from his earlier years, ranging from scrapes and cuts to minor burns performed at a small local clinic.

"Should I be wondering how you managed to come across these records?"

The other man sighed, relenting. "I just wanted to show you how serious this is."

Aizawa closed the file, sliding it back towards the other hero. "You didn't have access to my pairings, you were just notified that you were to handle those two's exam. The reason they are put together is because of this troubled past. It would be wrong for me to separate them."

"How could you-!"

The other teacher cut him off before he could finish his complaint. "I know what you want. You want me to keep them isolated, let their scars and problems heal over before they learn how to cooperate with each other, correct?"

"Of course!"

"Then let me ask you this; what if they don't recover? What if they can never learn to better themselves, to forgive and come to a mutual understanding? Moreover, what happens if that is the case and they have to work together in the field with that mindset? Are the disasters and villains going to wait around for them to come to grips with the fact that they need to be in each other's presence?"

All Might opened his mouth to say something, but his mind refused to form the words he wanted to express. Eventually, he replied, "Surely there must be a better way..."

"There is a better way: the final exam. I'm not trying to get them to mend their issues over a battle. But if they can't learn to at least temporarily compartmentalize those feelings before it actually matters, then they may join the ranks of heroes who died or watched others die because they couldn't work together for personal reasons."

Aizawa's gaze softened. "I want them to get better, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter out in the field unless it makes them worse at their job. The people hurt don't have time to care, and the media is going to be merciless on them. And the last thing they need is to deal with the guilt and trauma of someone getting hurt or dying on their watch because of their own problems. I have seen many of my former students break themselves over similar circumstances and I refuse to allow that to happen again. It's a harsh lesson, but one that needs to be taught before it's too late."

The determination in Aizawa's voice gave him pause. Toshinori had judged the other teacher's demeanor as his position on teaching kids. He thought that Aizawa simply didn't care, when in fact the opposite was the case. He was concerned over a likely scenario, in which they never recovered and they were forced to work together. How many times had All Might found himself working together with an unpleasant hero? He had swallowed his opinions on their ethics, their actions because in that moment... Aizawa was right, the world couldn't wait around for people to air their grievances when lives were at stake. The other teacher was simply trying to teach them to get themselves into the right mindset for the time when it was needed.

"I see. You want them to do what all heroes must do." Toshinori concluded.

"Correct. You will take on Bakugou and Midoriya, and you will do all in your power to make them to work together. If they can't, then they will fail. Simple as that."

"Simple, huh?" Toshinori chuckled. "I doubt you can call getting heroes to work together when they can't stand each other 'Simple.'"

Aizawa waved him off, taking his pen back in his hand to continue grading papers. "I don't know about that. I have an easy time working with you."

Kurogiri missed the quiet days of his bar. Not that he wasn't happy that Sensei's ideals were coming to fruition... but these folk were not the type of people that the bartender was fond of. They had no tact, no vision of things to come. They didn't have a single iota of the type of true cunning that the man behind the screen had. If it wasn't a blatant imitation of a martyr, it was a true desire for wanton destruction or short term personal gain.

No, there was no way they could ever dream to command the power Sensei had. These people were meant to be the pawns of the game he would play, plucking tight strings and moving small pieces along a board they could not even begin to perceive.

When they weren't doing something on their own, they lounged about the bar, discussing their previous experiences and... well, 'building camaraderie' didn't seem to be the right phrase, but it was the closest thing Kurogiri could put into words.

He was drawn from his mental grumbling by the sound of the front door opening. It only opened just a bit, enough for Rogue to slide in as the door silently closed itself behind him. He tentatively took a seat at the bar as Kurogiri placed an orange soda can in front of him, placing a straw in the opening. The hooded child picked it up, sliding the straw under the fabric covering his face as he slowly sipped.

"Brother is away again?" He inquired.

"It appears so, Rogue."

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, looking around as if he needed to confirm that fact. "I guess he needs to walk when he's planning something."

"Well, regardless of why he is out, we have two new recruits."

Rogue winced at the strange wording of Kurogiri's response. He was trying to hide something from him. But for the time being, he decided it was best to simply go along with the bartender's new direction of conversation.

"Is that so? I don't see them."

"They are actually about to arrive. I'm sure you'll find them... interesting."

"I don't like it when you use that word. Last time you described someone as 'interesting,' we got Moonfish."

A small, deep chuckle rumbled from the bartender's throat. "Even so, he will be a valuable asset if utilized correctly. He is loyal to us for the time being, it's best you and Shigaraki take advantage of that."

"I know, I know." Rogue sighed. He heard this constantly from Sensei, he didn't need Kurogiri echoing the same sentiments as well.

"Speaking of which, it seems they're here now." Kurogiri rumbled.

The front door swung open, smacking harshly against the wall panels behind it. Dabi sauntered in, followed by two people of wildly different heights. One was a large, burly man with blonde hair that rivaled Bakugou in its spikiness and a large scar trailing his face, while the other was a smaller, much thinner boy whose similarly colored hair was draped down along the curve of his skull. Neither of them seemed afraid of the other, but at the same time they clearly didn't know each other. The boy maintained a distance with an air of caution, while the man simply didn't consider the other's existence at all.

"I brought the new guys." Dabi reported, before taking a seat and whipping out his phone in boredom.

The man slammed his hands on the bar, staring gleefully at Kurogiri. "You must be the man in charge! Name's Muscular, though considering how popular I got on the news, you probably knew that already."

"Ah, yes. You were wanted for the slaughter of Water Horse, last I heard."

"Water...? Oh, you mean those two idiots who I crushed like water balloons!" He gave a hearty laugh, smacking the bar repeatedly to punctuate his outbursts. "You shoulda seen the look on their faces, crying their eyes out and screaming some stupid name, probably some other hero who never came. Can't remember for the life of me, though!"

Kurogiri paid no mind to the man's rambling, though his eyes briefly wandered to check if the counter had been damaged. "Indeed. Regrettably however, I'm not the one currently in charge."

"Really now? Well... now that I think about it, you're much too weak looking to be the one to command everyone. Where is he?" He turned around, scanning the bar's inhabitants.

"Shigaraki Tomura is currently out to take care of his own personal affairs. The second in command is Rogue, the one directly to your right."

He turned to the boy, and in doing so showed him the extent that his face had been disfigured. It wasn't just a simple scar, it was as if a large portion of the skin on his head was removed with a rubber stamp carver. His eye was taken with it, and in its place was a rather grotesque glass eye held in place by a number of metal struts that curved sharply along the rounded edge. It sent shivers down Rogue's spine, which he knew from the onset was intentional.

He crouched slightly to meet Rogue at face level, the boy resisting the urge to lean back.

"Haaah? You're telling me this kid is in charge? What's a weakling like this doing up at the top?" He leaned forward, faces nearly touching each other as a twisted grin formed on his lips. "Didya kiss a lot of ass to get there? I bet if I took that little cover off your face I'd find a nice brown spot on the tip of your nose."

The hooded villain wasn't really sure what to say. Clearly the man was trying to intimidate him, but he knew if the wrong words slipped from his lips that it would lead to embarrassment at best and a fight at worst.

After some pondering, he simply sighed and pulled out his handheld console. There really wasn't going to be a good way out of that conversation. Best to just not have it at all.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, brat!" He growled, slamming his hands on the counter in front of him. Everyone fell quiet, staring at the altercation happening in front of them.

Rogue was not having it. He activated Obfuscation, wiping his existence from Muscular's mind as he slipped out of his chair and climbed the steps up to Kurogiri's room. The brute, on the other hand, was angrily yelling and waving his hands around, trying to locate the hidden villain.

The moment he was safe upstairs, he dropped his quirk and sat cross-legged against the wall, furiously tapping on the old buttons as they clacked and creaked from years of constant use.

"Stupid... freaking stupid." He quietly grumbled to himself. "If they're not Stain fanatics, they're just here to kill."

His thought ground to a halt as an unfamiliar light knocking came from the other side of the bedroom door. Before he could say anything, the doorknob clicked open and the other newcomer slipped in.

"You're not supposed to be here." Rogue bluntly stated.

The other boy shrugged. "I'm not supposed to be in a bar, either."

"Tch. Whatever, just don't do anything dumb. I'm not in the mood for trouble."

"Well," The newcomer responded, taking a seat next to the hooded villain, "I'm not in the mood to cause any. I'm Mustard."

"I'm Rogue." He quietly greeted.

"Man, I'm glad I'm not the only one here who isn't an adult!" Mustard sighed in relief, leaning his head back against the wall. "I was a bit worried, but there's two more students!"

Rogue fingers froze mid-play, as he looked up at the other boy. "That's true. I kinda forgot Toga was a student too. She... she doesn't really act the part."

"Ah, I get what you mean." He chuckled. "She does have quite the look in her eyes."

"Aren't you worried?" Rogue asked, looking him up and down. "Your uniform, I mean. Someone might recognize the school who uses it and you could get caught."

"I've put some thought into that, but the truth is there really isn't much I can do about that."

"How come?"

"Because these are the only clothes I have."

Rogue took a closer look at the uniform. It wasn't long before he noticed the slight frays at the edges, and the small stains that have been scrubbed out but not quite completely removed from the fabric. There were a number of wrinkles and scrunches almost invisible, due to the dark coloring of the clothing.

At first, he doesn't know what to say. Eventually, he gives in and chokes out the question plaguing his mind. "...How long?"

"I'd say... probably three or four years now. Lucky for me, I already stopped growing." He laughed bitterly.

"Why did you decide to join the League? If it was about finding a place to live, you wouldn't need us."

"You suck at recruiting." He deadpanned with a smile on his face.

"Ah- sorry."

Mustard waved his hand away. "Don't worry about it, you made a good point. See.. I'm not here for Stain, and I'm definitely not here as an excuse to kill. If I wanted that I could have just started attacking people on the street. Nah, I'm here because I know you guys have Yuuei in your sights."

Rogue powered off his console, slipping it back into his pocket as he gave the new villain his full attention. "You have something against All Might?"

"No, I don't really care about him. He only got there a few months ago. No... I've been denied everything. I've lost everything I cared about, and what do the hero society and the government do?" He clenched his fist. "Nothing. They left me to die. But when I see that both of them dump everything they have into Yuuei, unloading countless funds and endless support... it pisses me off. They've been pampered by everyone, while I can't even sleep safe at night. It isn't right."

Rogue shifted positions, turning his body to face his peer.

"It may be jealousy. I don't care. They bemoan their fates of being rich and famous, petulant little brats so far removed from reality they don't even know that everyone treats them like celebrities and worships the ground they walk on. I just want to take their world and knock it down like a house of cards. I want to see the world grow angry that someone broke their precious Yuuei students."

Mustard couldn't see the big smile the other villain was giving him. Rogue had found another like him.

"You were rejected by society. No one bothered to help you, instead they were too distracted by popular heroes that never came to save you. The reason people don't get saved is because everyone would rather wash their hands clean of outcasts like us than step in where a hero could not. The bystanders could have done anything at all, but instead they deemed you unworthy of their time. And you want to take it out on them by ruining the garden of heroes they'll look up to before they even blossom!"

"What are you-"

Rogue didn't wait for him to finish speaking. "I want you in the League. I don't care about the rest of them, I want people like you in the league with me."

"You don't even know my quirk." Mustard rebutted, though he didn't sound like he was fighting the proposition.

"I don't care. Dabi didn't kill you, which means you're powerful enough to make the cut. But that's not is important. A mentor of mine once said that the intent to do something and the motivation behind it matters much more than the act itself. And I couldn't agree more. Remember the Stain video that went viral? Do you think it would have had the same impact if Stain didn't have such a clearly defined motivation?"

Mustard thought back to the video and gulped. He remembered feeling the aura emanating from the Hero Killer through his phone screen, and despite the message not resonating with him well, he did feel a call to action build within his chest the first time he saw it.

"No, it wouldn't."

"Exactly. You have the motivation I want. This world isn't going to change by copies of a bygone villain or a desire to just hurt others. The world you want to see... It's the world I want to make, and I need you and others like you to help me build it."

It was incredibly rare that Aizawa ever called an emergency meeting with the staff. Whenever it did happen, though, every teacher would immediately make the remainder of the lesson a free period and book it to the principal's office.

So when the man himself sent everyone a brief "Emergency meeting ASAP" they knew that something was terribly wrong. Within 5 minutes, every teacher filed into the office as he stared them all down from his position next to the podium. The moment the heavy oak door shut behind everyone, he got straight to the point.

"A record of Stain's interrogation was released earlier today on the Hero Network. I assume none of you have read the transcript or listened to the audio." He bluntly asserted.

"I didn't bother to read it, as I was busy grading math papers." Ectoplasm spoke up. "Is there something important he said?"

"Very." He folded his arms. "He claimed to have killed 48 heroes over the course of the last decade. He even went so far as to name them all and the method by which he dispatched of them."

"That has to be wrong." Hizashi immediately rebutted. "We know for a fact that there were 49 victims."

"Which is why I called this meeting in the first place." Aizawa looked directly at Nedzu as he spoke. "He claims he knows nothing about Mirio. The interrogators suggested that this is likely to be a fabrication, so they aren't going to push the issue further."

Nedzu spoke up, his usually cheery voice overcome with a profound level of gravity. "I disagree with that sentiment. As morbid as it sounds, Mirio embodied the qualities that Stain wished to see in heroes. I do not believe for a moment that Stain would simply murder someone like him."

"I completely agree." He responded. "Which brings me to the reason I called this meeting; if this is true, then-"

"Then Mirio Togata was murdered by some other party." Ishiyama finished for him. "Afterwards, his body was mutilated to appear as if he had a battle with Stain. Is this correct?"

"That is what I believe." Aizawa finished. "I have called the group in charge of the cremation of his remains. Once they locate his body in storage, they can remove him from the queue and perform a more thorough autopsy to see if there are any discrepancies with Stain's modus operandi."

Nemuri put her hand up against her mouth. "Why would someone go out of their way to kill him? Are any of the other students in danger?"

After a very long, uncomfortable moment of tense silence, Nedzu clasped his hands and spoke up. "Thank you for this new information Aizawa. For now, we should work under the assumption that all the students may be a potential target. While I would suggest not worrying them, I would also recommend that you ask them to minimize how much time they spend out at night. I'll begin a personal investigation as to how exactly this scenario came about and why Mirio Togata was murdered. For the time being, everyone please return to your classes."

One by one, the teachers filed out of the room. Nedzu spoke up once more as Toshinori approached the exit. "All Might, if you wouldn't mind, please stay for a moment. I have questions regarding your grading methods."

The skeletal man paused, turning around to take a seat at the plush couch. It wasn't long before it was just the two of them. The air around them seemed to grow thick, threatening to choke the life out of both of them.

Nedzu hopped down from his seat behind his desk, walking over to a low hanging counter where a kettle was silently boiling. He removed the kettle from the boiler, and as the water began to slowly cool he opened a container of matcha and poured a few small scoops into a sifter, breaking apart the clumps and pouring the fine powder into two small cups. He poured the water from the kettle in, stirring vigorously with a tea whisk until everything dissolved and there was a bright green foam on the top. He placed the cups on a bamboo platter and walked over to the couch. He placed the tea on the coffee table in front of Toshinori.

"It's best you drink that immediately. I apologize for it not being the best quality, but it was the quickest thing I could make to help calm your nerves." Nedzu slightly bowed.

"I'm okay with anything right now." He responded, grabbing the cup and taking a few deep gulps from it. The drink was gone before he realized it, and he felt bad for not taking the time to savor it. In the end, it did little to help him feel better. "Thank you."

Neither of them were really sure what to say. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed before Nedzu decided to speak.

"This may be the work of All for One."

The mention of the name sent jolts up Toshinori's spine, as he gripped the porcelain cup tightly. "I'm sure it is."

"Who knew that Mirio was slated to be your next heir?"

"Outside of you and me... the only other I know of is Sir Nighteye." He paused. "Though, it's a possibility that he let something slip while he was scouting students."

Nedzu nodded, humming quietly. "We only have a limited amount of time to act before news of this gets slipped to the public at large. I doubt that we will have to worry about information regarding your quirk getting leaked, but..."

"The idea of a second killer floating around isn't much better." He finished for the principal. "I think it's best that finding an heir to One for All gets shelved for now. If that really is the reason why he was killed... then I would only be putting people in needless danger."

"That is probably the best response... though that may be exactly what All for One was hoping to evoke from you."

"I'm aware. He wants a war of attrition." Toshinori sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he clenched his eyes shut. "But until we figure out how he knows, I can't risk endangering anyone. I won't allow it. Even if it means playing right into his hands."

"I agree. The future of the next generation of heroes is far more important." Nedzu paused, before continuing, "I will inform Sir Nighteye of this new development, though he has been rather despondent as of late. Nevertheless, he deserves to know."

The pro hero grunted softly in agreement. "Are you going to request anyone special to perform the autopsy?"

"I'll look into who is available, but to be honest they're probably not needed."

"What do you mean?"

"If this is truly All for One's work, then there won't be any loose ends. I am confident that Aizawa's request will be denied because a 'clerical error' resulted in Mirio's body being cremated well ahead of schedule."

The days leading up to the practical exams were rather uneventful. A few study groups were formed, Bakugou threatened superiority over his classmates, and Monoma from Class 1-B has some very... ineffectual taunts for the class. Izuku made a mental note to thank Kendou for shutting him up at some point in the future.

But that would have to wait. The last day of Finals was upon them.

Aizawa left a note on the classroom door telling everyone put on their outfits to meet up at the bus bay. One by one the students made their way there, greeted to the sight of Aizawa and a number of the other teachers standing rather ominously in a line.

The moment Izuku witnessed this, he realized that something was amiss. 'There's no reason for everyone to be here if we are going to fight robots. And Aizawa's scarf is... weird today. It's hanging around him really loosely... and is it fidgeting?'

Before he could say anything, Aizawa began his introduction.

"Let's begin your final exams. And, as a reminder, should you fail these... you're not going to the summer camp." His eyes scanned the group of students, lingering on those who looked more than a little worried. "I'm sure everyone who goes will be more than happy to tell you about all the amazing times they had while you were stuck here. Now, I'm sure many of you have some idea of how this is going to go down, especially if you have been asking your peers."

Kaminari jumped up, raising his hands excitedly. "Of course! It's a robot rumble, like the entrance exams!"

Mina briefly joined in the excitement, pumping her fists back and forth.

"Not quite!" Yelled an eerily familiar, but muffled voice. Their confusion was turned into surprise as a small creature quite literally burst out of Aizawa's scarf, laughing gleefully as some of the students jumped slightly. "Various circumstances have demanded a revision to the exam criteria!"

"Wh-what?" Sero choked out... "Why?!"

"Well," Nedzu began, using a loose end of the homeroom teacher's scarf to climb down to the ground, "it seems that some villains have become less inhibited in their actions, which has impacted you all greatly. We can't give you the same education when clearly the status quo of the outside world has changed. We had initially used robots to combat the concerns that heroes were getting injured while participating in exams."

"Which wasn't exactly the best idea." Snipe added in. "Robots are better in the public eye, but battlin' them ain't all that practical."

"Precisely. We cannot afford that luxury now. From now on you'll be fighting flesh and blood opponents, meant to simulate a real battle against a villain as accurately as possible! So, you will all be pairing up and fighting one of us!"

Yaoyorozu looked stunned, her expression held in a mixture of confusion and anxiety. "Fighting... a teacher?"

Nedzu nodded. "Yes. Now, we have already determined the pairs and the test proctor for each group. We have taken everything, from power levels and apparent weaknesses, to personal fears and relationships into account. Aizawa will tell you who you are going to battle."

The homeroom teacher snorted, taking a step forward. "The first group is Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. You two will be fighting... me."

The smile in his eyes struck a sort of terror into the girl. She grasped her wrists and wrung them while staring vacantly at her teacher.

"Ashido and Kaminari, you two will be fighting Nedzu."

The duo looked very confused and worried. "Uh..." Denki trailed off. "Is this okay? I don't want to hurt him."

His concerns were only met with grins and snickering from the teachers.

"Aoyama and Uraraka, Thirteen will be taking care of you. Kouda and Jirou, you will be fighting Present Mic. This is taking too long... Asui and Tokoyami: Ectoplasm. Sero and Mineta: Midnight. Hagakure and Shouji: Snipe. Satou and Kirishima: Cementoss. Iida and Ojirou: Power Loader."

As each pair was getting read off, a rock began to form in the pit of Izuku's stomach. The moment Nedzu brought up relationships, he knew what was going to happen. His hope that he would be wrong diminished with each pair grouped together. Until finally...

"Bakugou and Midoriya..."

A deep, booming voice erupted from behind them. "You two will be fighting ME!"

They both spun around to see All Might standing tall, hands placed on his hips in a striking pose. Neither of them were able to speak for a while.

Izuku finally managed to choke out a weak "Okay."

Everyone was quickly shuttled into buses, intending to take each of them to their appropriate arena.

Izuku was quick to slide into the back seats, much to the chagrin of both Bakugou and All Might. The only thing breaking the silence was the hum of the engine and the sound of the tires rolling across the slightly uneven road.

"How about... a word game?" The hero suggested. "I do enjoy some shiritori on short trips like these, it helps keep the brain engaged. I'll start... rinGO!"

Neither student bothered to answer. All Might sighed, focusing on the road ahead.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a rather familiar site. Ground Beta, the place where Izuku had originally performed his entrance exam.

"Now, before we begin, I'll go over some basic rules!" All Might stood in front of the gate, whose arch had been replaced with a decorative banner depicting the principal saying 'Do your best!' Izuku wasn't sure if that was condescending or adorable.

"You both will start at the center of the arena, and will have 30 minutes to either apprehend me or escape through this gate here. For the capture to count, you must put these handcuff on my hands or legs." He threw a pair of interlocking cuffs to Bakugou.

"So we fight to win, or run to win." Izuku summarized.

"Precisely! Now, given normal circumstances, you'd probably think that the only option would be to run... which is why we have these!" He produced a number of bracelets, quickly placing a large number of them onto his wrists and ankles. "These are super-compressed weights, meant to- oh dear, these are heavier than I thought... meant to weigh us down and drain our stamina! Right now they weigh about fifty percent of my body weight."

"So you're trying to bring this fight down to our level? Don't insult me, I could beat you at full power." Bakugou spat back.

"Shut up." Izuku snapped at him. "This is an exam, not an ego stroking party."

The other boy clicked his tongue, looking away from the both of them.

"...Anyway, I'll take you both to the center. Once you hear the buzzer, it'll be time to begin!"

Before either of them could protest, they were grabbed by the scruff of their costumes, and sent soaring into the air as All Might carried them up into the air. He landed in the dead center of the fake city on the first bound, dropping them onto the ground. He leapt up into the air once more, shouting a faint "Good luck!" behind him as he faded into the distance.

It wasn't long before the buzzer harsly rang out. Bakugou immediately sauntered off after the pro hero. Izuku began walking after him.

It wasn't long before Bakugou became more than irritable. "Stop following me!"

"The exit is this way, and so is All Might." Izuku bluntly replied. "Where else should I be going?"

"Don't even bring up the exit. I'm beating All Might, end of story!"

"With what? You really think you're gonna get a drop on him?" He scoffed.

"No! I'll let him wear himself out as he toys with us, then I'll let him have it!"

Izuku waved his hand, clearly annoyed. "He'll beat you half to death before he gets tired. Use your head for once! We don't have any idea of what he's planning! Rushing in there is stupid."

"I can beat him! I know I can! And I won't need your power to do it!" He clenched his fists, walking faster.

"Idiot. Why do you think we're in pairs? Even with the handicap there's no way you'll beat him-"

Izuku was caught off guard as Bakugou swung his arm around him, smacking Izuku squarely on the jaw with a sickening crack. "Shut up-"

His words were cut off as the boy refused to fall. He stuck his foot out behind him, quickly regaining his balance. Izuku crouched down, diving beneath Bakugou's arm before coming back up and sending a well placed elbow jab squarely into the fiery boy's back. All of the air immediately rushed out of his lungs from the impact, sending him stumbling into a rail on the sidewalk as he gasped for air.

"Don't. Hit. Me." Izuku growled. "I will knock you out and fail this exam on purpose if you try that again."

Bakugou turned around, hands sparking in rage. "Stupid fucking Dek-"

Suddenly, everything disappeared in a blast of wind and dust, sending both of the distracted students flying away. Izuku grunted in pain as he landed on his behind, skidding down the road.

The dust began to clear, revealing the haunting visage of All Might, fist outstretched towards them with the sun behind him. He laughed, but it felt wrong. It wasn't his jovial peals of laughter that inspired hope. It was almost... like he was cackling at the two of them.

"What's wrong? You two too busy fighting each other to go after your target? It makes me get bored, and you really shouldn't make a villain bored." The pro hero smiled maliciously, pulling his fist back a second time. "Now... Get ready to have a really bad time!"

A/N: Woah, it's been a while. I'm back! I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading the fic thus far, and as always your comments and responses are very dear to me.

Thanks for reading, everyone! And as always, feel free to drop me a line on my Tumblr blog! The username is Auresalia, just like my username here. See you all soon!